As a utility-services-based computing model used in the marketplace, the traditional licensing model of software/content components becomes obsolete. The use of services can often be enabled by one or more application components. The complexity of assembling, allocating, and provisioning of the associated licenses poses a major issue for service providers and service brokers. Some of the related issues include:
1. For application software, the current license model is very restricted to end-user license, enterprise site license, etc. This license model has not been able to extend to feature-based licensing to enable a utility licensing model (ULM). The financial and business drivers for software vendors has been a deterrent to offering this new licensing model.
2. As enterprises are looking for services to solve their business need, they are looking for standard or custom solution packs (industry, BPO packs) instead of individual applications to manage their business. There is a need for a consolidated service licensing model.
3. From a new application/solution prospective, as composite applications are developed, the associated composite license agreement must be assembled and provisioned.
4. In addition, current licensing models are not capable of managing the allocation of licenses based on usage forecast.
5. Existing software licenses need a migration model to move to a utility-licensing model.
The impact of these problems and others is reduced customer satisfaction and decreased service excellence.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for a system, process and computer program product for brokering data processing service licenses.